The high degree of urbanity and mobility is a vital characteristic of our modern societies and their tangible manifestations are subject to permanent change. The relationship between urbanity and modernity is a continuous process resulting in designs as diverse as the pedestrian city, to the city of trams, to the automobileadapted city. These developments are an expression of the changing social circumstances that are especially reflected in individual attitudes and behaviour. In analyzing residential choice, we can study the social configuration of urbanity and mobility. The accumulated knowledge will provide a sound basis with which to realistically evaluate future urban housing and traffic planning policies. This paper serves to justify future research on the subject of the residential choice of people in the second modernity.